Conquer Club

The infernal landscape of Dallol, located in the Ethiopian depression of Danakil, extends over a volcanic crater full of salt, where toxic gases emanate and water boils in the midst of intense hydrothermal activity. It is one of the most torrid environments on Earth. There, daily temperatures in winter can exceed 45° C (113° F) and there are abundant hypersaline and hyperacid pools, with pH values that are even negative.

A recent study, published this year in Scientific Reports, pointed out that certain microorganisms can develop in this multi-extreme environment (simultaneously very hot, saline and acid), which has led its authors to present this place as an example of the limits that life can support, and even to propose it as a terrestrial analog of early Mars.

However, now a French-Spanish team of scientists led by biologist Purificación Lopez Garcia of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) has published an article in Nature Ecology & Evolution on October 28, 2019, that concludes otherwise. According to these researchers, there is no life in Dallol’s multi-extreme ponds.

“After analyzing many more samples than in previous works, with adequate controls so as not to contaminate them and a well-calibrated methodology, we have verified that there’s no microbial life in these salty, hot and hyperacid pools or in the adjacent magnesium-rich brine lakes,” stresses López García.

KoolBak wrote:Or Eugene.

TA1LGUNN3R wrote:I thought the most lifeless place on earth was in saxi's pants.

KoolBak wrote:Or Eugene.

HitRed wrote:wonder if the green is from copper

mookiemcgee wrote:I think most of the color is from sulphur

Dukasaur wrote:

HitRed wrote:wonder if the green is from copper

mookiemcgee wrote:I think most of the color is from sulphur

The yellow is almost certainly from sulphur. But I'm guessing the green is from iron sulphate.

It's true that copper sulphate is green in its solid form, but it turns blue when it dissolves, whereas iron sulphate stays green even in solution.

Copper(I) sulfate, also known as cuprous sulfate, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Cu2SO4. It is a white solid, in contrast to copper(II) sulfate, which is blue in hydrous form.

Iron(II) sulfate, also known as ferrous sulfate or copperas, is a chemical compound. Its chemical formula is FeSO4. It is made of iron and sulfate ions. The iron is in its +2 oxidation state.

Properties
It is a blue-green crystalline solid when hydrated and white when anhydrous.

Iron (III) Sulfate formula or the ferric sulfate is an inorganic salt with the formula Fe2(SO4)3. It is yellow in colour and is soluble in water.

Iron (III) Sulfate Properties
Properties of Iron (III) Sulfate
Name Iron (III) Sulfate
Also Known as Ferric Sulfate, Sulfuric acid – iron(3+) salt
Appearance Yellow crystalline solid or greyish-white powder.

Why does copper turn green?
Have you ever wondered why copper does copper turn green? When left outdoors to the elements, copper transforms from a bright, shiny new penny shade, to a burnished brown, and finally to a distinct green color and makes it such a great choices for products such as copper awnings.

This unique characteristic of copper is completely natural and is often referhttps://www.crescentcitycopper.com/index.htmred to as the “patina” – which referrers to the way copper changes color and turns green as it ages. This natural process actually preserves the copper and protects it from the outside elements.

Over time copper will naturally change colors – transforming from a shiny brown color to darker browns, then blues and finally greens after a number of years. When exposed to the natural elements such as wind and rain, copper develops this “patina” which actually protects and preserves the metal underneath.

Natural Oxidation
Just like rust develops on iron, patina develops on copper when the copper sulphate on the surface interacts with oxygen in the environment. Importantly, unlike rust which corrodes iron, patina actually protects and preserves the copper underneath.

When it was unveiled in 1886, it was a shiny brown color, like a penny. By 1906, the color had changed to green. The reason the Statue of Liberty changed colors is that the outer surface is covered with hundreds of thin copper sheets. Copper reacts with the air to form a patina or verdigris.